1. Related Applications
This application relates to and employs teachings set forth in our copending application's referenced below which comprise a part of the prior art.
U.S. Ser. No. 08/932,938 for a System and Method for Speech Enabled Application and U.S. Ser. No. 08/932,937 for a System and Method for Creating a Language Grammar were filed Sep. 17, 1997 and are incorporated by reference herein.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to tools for use by designers of natural language dialogues. More particularly, the present invention relates to computer software tools which simplify the design of dialogues and permit confirmation of the correctness of a design by means of simulation rather than requiring final software implementation of a design before correctness of the design can be confirmed.
3. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, dialogue designers were required to complete a design or part of a design using manual techniques. Subsequently, the designer or the design system required an interactive voice responsive (IVR) component or other voice activated systems to be implemented in order to test or confirm the effectiveness of the design. The dialogue designer was of necessity a very highly skilled person and the prior art system of implementation was both time consuming and costly.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a dialogue design tool that would enable dialogue designers of lesser skill to design dialogues that may be proven by simulation before implementation.